Post IV: “Civil Disobedience”

In early 2016, construction began on the Dakota Access Pipeline, a 1,172-mile long pipeline providing transportation for oil from the Bakken Oil Field in North Dakota to an oil refinery in Patoka, Illinois. On its way, the pipeline passes through the Standing Rock Indian Reservation and threatens to contaminate the Missouri River, the longest River in North America which is relied on heavily by the Standing Rock Reservation and much of the United States. As construction began in the reservation, many of the residents began to protest in an effort to protect their rights and promote environmental preservation. This cause is worth civil disobedience because the protesters are objecting actions that already break the law, they are attempting to preserve their culture, and they show a strong desire for the discontinuation of the construction.

Provided that those constructing the Dakota Access Pipeline failed to obtain permission from the Natives at the Standing Rock Reservation to build there, the construction is unethical, “The tribe says, that the project violates federal law and native treaties with the US government”  (Levin). Therefore, the protesters are merely standing up for the law in hopes that it will be followed. However, these protests still represent civil disobedience because the protesters of Standing Rock are putting themselves in danger and opposing those in a position of authority. The protesters are not only standing up for themselves, but they are standing up for the rights of their nation as a whole under the protection of federal law. This makes the cause well-worth civil disobedience.

Moreover, the construction of the pipeline puts cultural traditions that have survived through generations of turmoil in jeopardy, “The tribe said the digging has already disrupted sacred burial grounds and that if the project goes under the river and gets any closer to the reservation, there could be irreversible damage to their land and cultural heritage” (Levin). The constructors of the pipeline have shown little respect for the cultures of the Native Americans, and civil disobedience is needed to draw attention to these unethical actions.
It is clear throughout the reservation that the Native Americans have a strong opposition against the construction, and they are willing to withstand a lot of pressure in order to protest, “Police, who are often armed with large tanks and riot gear, have used pepper spray, tear gas, rubber bullets, tasers and other ‘less-than-lethal’ tools to respond” (Levin). If this group of people is willing to go through this level turmoil to stop the construction, then the cause is worth the consequences that Civil Disobedience may bring.
After months of justified civil disobedience in the form of protests, construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline was brought to a halt, thus preserving the rights of the Native Americans and the environment around the Standing Rock Indian reservation. This cause was worth civil disobedience because the protesters were enforcing federal law, protecting their culture, and demonstrating their strong desire for change.

Works Cited

Field, Nancy. Glencoe Literature American Literature: The Reader's Choice. Place of Publication Not Identified: Glencoe Mcgraw-Hill School, 2003. Print.

Levin, Sam. "Dakota Access Pipeline: The Who, What and Why of the Standing Rock Protests." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 03 Nov. 2016. Web. 17 Dec. 2016.